The Path
by press here
Summary: She hated alot of things...she hated rain, she hated wells, she hated darkness, she hated how weak she was...but most of all she hated the fact that he didn't hate her. Sesshkag
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha…**

**The Path**

**Chapter 1**

**Lost**

Had she imagined it all…those lights who had for a moment pierced through the darkness of the well, that feeling of falling, of a never-ending chute…had she imagined it?

The ground beneath her was cold and moist. The cold seeped through her thin shirt and induced a shiver, as her mind came to consciousness. It was dark; that much she knew; no light shone upon her, and for some reason this realization ignited a flame of panic.

_Where am I?…_

She slowly lifted herself off the soil, until she was in a sitting position. Something gently rolled down her cheek, she looked up, only for eyes to encounter a murky light shining above her…Light. A small smile stretched across her lips. Another drop of liquid fell onto her face, she happily identified it as rain.

She hurriedly lifted herself off the ground. She remembered now: she had fallen into the shrine's well. Her hands felt around her until she came in contact with a vine. Her smile lengthened into a grin: she was saved.

She began her ascent out of the well, already imagining the shrine and her mother's worried gaze. She would be back with them in but an instant… She let out a sigh as she reached the end of the well, she quickly breached the barrier between the dark well and her home.

_No…something isn't right. This isn't the shrine…_

As she looked around her the more she noticed the less than subtle differences between this place and the shrine. Tears sprung into her eyes as the realization hit her; she was lost…

Trees outlined her vision, the ground beneath her was grass, the sky above her was grey, raindrops dropped heavily around her; all these thing, proof she was lost, proof that she was in unknown land. A raindrop ran across her cheek, imitating the route of a stray tear, and…

She ran. She ran as fast as her could for she knew that she had to escape, escape this world that was so foreign to her. Tears leaked her eyes as her feet pounded through the wet ground.

Suddenly, she came to halt before a giant tree. It's roots, she was sure, went for miles on end, it was ancient, it was impressive, it was familiar, it was the…

_Goshinboku_

Despite the fear and panic that threatened to take over her heart, despite the cold, despite the pain that glazed her mind and heart, despite it all, she managed a smile the familiar tree that was present before her.

She raced towards it, encircling it with her small arms. Goshinboku… She let go, and with a smile walked around the tree inspecting every corner of it. Her smile remained until…

A frown replaced the only sign of distinct happiness on her face. There was a figure on the tree, a figure that had never been there before. Curiosity enticed her to approach it, and as she did it became clear that it was human.

It was a human planted to the tree by an arrow… The fear that had been so close to dissipating before returned with even more force. The emotions that had nestled in her chest since her arrival were finally released in a scream; a scream which held frustration, anger, fear.

She turned her back away from the tree that was so familiar and yet so different and ran. She ran through the darkness, all in an attempt to be rid of this place forever. The rain continued and she slipped and fell, but even as she continued, one fact remained true.

_She was lost_

**Ther is a "minor" problem with this story: I don't really have a plot…**

**But…if I get reviews I can work on one faster**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: umm…yah…well …Inuyasha…is not… mine**

**The Path**

**Chapter 2**

**The Village**

She hated it…She hated it all; the veil of shadows that shielded her senses; the lack of feeling; the lack of sight; the lack of hope…She hated it all. She felt as though she was back in the dark well that represented all her fears. And she hated it.

"The shikon jewel…where is it?"

That sound…it was a voice. Happiness began to swell in her breast as thoughts of escape began to form. If a voice could reach her, surely someone could save her. Maybe, if she gave it what it desired, maybe, she would be spared from this never-ending abyss.

The voice…it had demanded the shikon jewel, the jewel of four souls. Since her arrival in the village and the discovery of the jewel, she had been told to take special care of the treasure that contained immense power. She was its guardian; forever to protect it; never to forsake it…A sudden chill coursed through her body, every breath was harder as her mind began to fog with a darkness that was fear. She was its guardian, but she was also human…Could she, would she sacrifice her life for the jewel that had brought her but pain and suffering.

This once, she would listen to her heart, to the heart of a scared 14 year old…

_Never again would she be part of this darkness_

* * *

It was cold…

That much she knew. Her mind was fogged by confusion as she tried to recall what had happened. The ground beneath her was moist with rain, soaking her body with cold. She took several deep breathes before standing.

Pain rushed into her, a bullet sure to pull her apart. She staggered back onto the ground. Her body ached and her heart cried for help, for a savior, for anything. She hated it…she hated how the skies opened up above her as rain poured down unto her in a futile attempt to rinse all away…she hated how weak she was…

_She hated it all_

She lay there…waiting, for what…she did not know.

_You must not be weak_

That is what Kaede-sama would tell her…to be strong; like Kikyo-sama…But she wasn't. She was afraid, she was in pain...she was weak.

_And she hated it_

She slowly hefted herself off the ground, ignoring the burst of pain that followed. Rain continued to fall, a reminder that things were not as they should be. A rain drop ran a stray route across her cheek, enticing her to look up towards its origin; the sky. So dark, so forlorn was it, that it reminded her of a never-ending abyss.

_A never-ending abyss_

_Darkness_

_The shikon jewel_

As she stood there, against the rain, against the pain, against it all, only one thought, one memory managed to fully awaken the panic, fear and anger nursing in her breast…

_What have I done_

* * *

She ran…

She ran as fast as she could, her feet throbbing in the wet soil as she searched for the village. Amongst the trees she ran, lost despite all her efforts. Guilt shadowed her mind, feeding off her fear for the villager's lives.

"The shikon jewel...where is it?"

She heard it…that raspy voice that seemed to come from beside her. She turned her head slightly only to come face to face with green eyes. As she stared into those eyes, she knew its owner was a youkai. They were of an emerald green and ever-swirling.

_Beware of those youkai…their power lays in the mind…_

She quickly shut her eyes…a mind demon. Was he the one responsible for all her pain?

"Who are you?"

"Where is the jewel?"

"I don't know of what you speak…"

A smooth hand reached out towards her, grasping her arm in a painful hold. This was her chance…she could purify him…

And purify him she did.

She let out the holy powers nestled in the deepest depths of her body. She found satisfaction in the cry of pain that came from the demon. He deserved nothing more.

_A miko is the defender of all...She must never attack a defensless soul..._

She felt a surge of guilt as she remembered Kae-

_Kaede-sama_

_The village_

She no longer needed to search for the village, her home, her sanctuary, for there it was before her...destroyed.

It was destroyed and--

She ran.

For the second time in her life, she ran away from it all; hte guilt, the anger, the helplesness...all those emotion which threatened to destroy her...She ran from it all.

_Never again would she part of this darkness_

**Timeline**

**-Kagome falls into the well at the age of 10**

**-She finds Inuyasha( still in hanyou form) pinned to a tree...she runs away without saving him**

**-She is taken in by Kaede's village and trained as a miko**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha…**

**The Path**

**Chapter 3 **

**Meetings at Midnight**

She had gotten used to it all…The dark night sky clouded by a thick fog of smoke that descended upon all, the hungry fire which flashed the sky with bright red flames and licked at any in its path, the feeling of guilt that ate away at her very soul…She had gotten used to it all.

And yet…it still hurt

As she stared out across the burning village, at the mutilated bodies of villagers she had grown to care for, she knew that it hurt; that horrible hurt that poisoned her soul, could never be washed away and her hands would remain forever stained with the blood of innocents.

It hurt…so much

She was guilty…She was at fault…She was their downfall. She would always be their downfall…all the villages destroyed because of her…for her.

Kaede-sama

Tyoko-san

Momochi-san

All dead because of her. Every time she entered a village, she already knew the outcome. And yet, she still entered, despite the risk she put on the villagers lives. She had brought their death,

_It was her fault_

* * *

Night fell as shadows crept into the once bright sky. The forest was dark and giant trees loomed overhead creating their own bodiless shadows, but Sesshomaru took non of this in as he seemingly glided through the dark woods.

Clad in mostly white and fit in silver armor, his figure proved to strike out of its colder décor. His mind wandered as he absentmindedly jumped from branch to branch and suddenly it hit him.

_Power_

He came to a sharp halt, as he felt a surge of power. It was holy, meaning it was wielded by a miko. But never before had he met a miko of such power…

And so, without an ounce of hesitation, Sesshomaru headed towards the direction from which emanated the power. As he neared it, the strong smell of smoke overpowered his senses…He had reached a burning village.

* * *

It hurt

Blood seeped out of her wounded hand as it once again came in contact with burned rubble. It hurt but she knew she deserved it. She tugged and pushed at a rather large piece of scorched wood until; finally, it revealed a bloody arm. She continued to dig until all the rubble was off, revealing the body of an old man.

Takashi-san

She hurriedly dragged him over to the pile of bodies she had uncovered, There they were…the corpses of all those whose death was in her hands, whom she could have saved, but had instead left to die.

There they were

But, she continued. She continued to dig and every new body brought a surge of relief and guilt. Her thoughts were cut short as she was suddenly surrounded by an unknown presence.

Youkai

She hurriedly pulled herself up from the ground as she felt the power of the youkai, She did not turn to face it even as it approached, needing to appear calm, though the beat of her heart said otherwise.

"Human…"

* * *

"Human…"

Even as he called out her name, she did not turn to face him. Even with her back turned towards him he could feel the power emanating from her. It surround her, a gently aura of holy power.

And he wanted it

He wanted that power to belong to him, to be able to control it and wield it as he pleases. He wanted it. Such power did not deserve to be kept by a weak mortal miko.

It was his

"Human, why do you have such power?"

There was no answer…She stood before him, saying not a word; taunting him' mocking him. She was but a weak miko and he the ruler of the western lands.

And yet, there she was taunting him

And them suddenly he was beside her, taking in the sweet smell of her body and wishing to savor the taste of her blood, her power. He leaned down an whispered into her ear, gently, softly:

"Answer me human."

* * *

"Answer me human."

A light shiver passed through her body as his warm breath swam across her ear, But as the moment passed and his words ran through her mind, all she felt was anger.

"I have no business with you youkai."

She hated him…She hated them all.

They were the ones at fault not her…They had brought death to this village…

It was them…

All her toughts were put to an end as cold fingers played across her throat…Gently pressing against its most vulnerable part.

* * *

"Do not mock me miko."

He enjoyed playing with her, letting her know that he held absolute power over her life. That just a little swipe could commence a devastating blood flow, that her blood was his to spill.

"Now tell me human…where did you obtain such power?"

* * *

"Now tell me human…where did you obtain such power?"

She could feel his claws gently gliding across her skin and knew that her life could be ended with but a brief motion…She was his to kill.

But…

Did she really care that her life could surely come to an end at any moment? That she would never again have to face endless lines of corpses, never to feel the burning guilt that licked at her soul.

Did she really care…?

She lifted her head towards the youkai, exposing the skin of her neck and looked up into eyes of molten gold.

"Kill me now youkai."

**Yet another chapter done…Thanks to my two reviewers CobaltH**_**eart and **__**Brittanie**_

**Before I go I go I just wanna make it clear that if I don't get at least on review per chapter…I lose interest in the story which means no updates…So…**

**Update if you like this story**


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